


Drowning Her Sorrows

by athenril_of_kirkwall (al_fletcher)



Series: Aether Effect [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst, Dragon Age II - Act 3, Drunkenness, Friendship, Gen, Prompt Fic, The Hanged Man (Dragon Age), Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-20 18:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17627678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/al_fletcher/pseuds/athenril_of_kirkwall
Summary: Hawke broke up with Isabela after dealing with the Arishok, and she's not taking it too well. Merrill steps in to intervene.





	Drowning Her Sorrows

**Author's Note:**

> Fill for Isabela and Merrill, “You’ve been quiet.”

Merrill found Isabela in the Hanged Man, but not in her usual spot.

Instead of chatting by the bar as she usually did, she was all the way in the far corner, lazily slouched halfway down the wall, tossing coppers at a long-drained tankard. This despite the stein having been topped up with all the empty bottles of grog littered around her table.

Merrill’s eyes searched for Corff, who was drying off a few mugs. Making contact, he glanced over at the mess of the pirate, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. Treading as lightly as she could over the filthy floor of the tavern, she sidled over to him, leaning in close to whisper her question.

“How long has she been…?”

He muttered, “Came in a couple of hours ago and hasn’t had anything besides rum and grog. If you ask me, she’s aiming to drag her ordeal here out as long as possible.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Merrill said, “but thanks anyway.”

She wandered away from the bar, reaching over to one of the stools to draw a seat for herself. No sooner had wood scraped floor panelling, did the former pirate spring into action, reaching for her knives lightning-fast…or she would have anyway, if her half-lidded eyes had let her see where she was getting up from, and her head smacked right into the wall as her knives fell from her hands, clattering onto the floor.

Massaging the back of her bruised head, Isabela winced then forced her eyes wide open to acknowledge her visitor. Recognising Merrill, she instead reached for a bottle, only to find it empty, then another, which to her chagrin was also empty, and then another which also happened to be empty, only for Merrill to snatch it away before her unsteady fingers could wrap themselves around their neck, and like that the bottle was gone.

The elf crossed her arms, trying her best to look stern. “Look at yourself, Isabela.”

Isabela leaned back, crossing her own as she grumbled, “Why should I? Nobody wants to.”

“You never talk to anyone, when you come out to join us you don’t say anything, and the rest of the time you’re just sitting here, wallowing in the corner! We’re getting worried, Isabela.”

Rolling her eyes up to meet Merrill’s gaze, she asked, “Oh? Is _Hawke_ worried about _me_ now?”

“Well…” Merrill said, trailing off as she tried to find the words.

Isabela leaned forward in a slovenly fashion, slamming her palm on the table. “That’s what I thought. He must be too busy with his new para…paramount…para… _Fenris_.”

“That’s not fair, Isabela!” Merrill objected. “He _is_ worried. He’s just…conflicted. And Fenris _is_ concerned too. You know how he doesn’t show much of it, but we all can tell.”

“Oh, really now?” Isabela asked. “Why’d they send you down here to fish me out, then?”

“Nobody sent me, Isabela,” Merrill said. “I came down here myself. Because I…care about you. You’ve always known that.”

Isabela nodded. “You’re right, Kitten. You always were. This whole thing was my mess. I…should have found some way, _any way_ , of telling him. Stupid me, letting him bring feelings into this. Stupid _me_ , bringing feelings into this myself. Sneaking into Fenris’ mansion and leaving before sunrise was simpler. Now I can’t even do _that_.”

Merrill folded her hands on the table. “So, what _are_ you going to do now, Isabela?”

“I don’t know, Kitten,” she drawled. “I was happy enough drinking myself senseless in this corner.”

Feeling Merrill’s stare boring holes in her head, Isabela held her palms up. “All right, all right. No more alcohol. Tonight, anyway. I’m going to regret this tomorrow morning already as it stands. You really think I should crawl to the Champion of Kirkwall and beg forgiveness? Because if you expect me to beg and crawl, I don’t think you know me at all.”

Merrill shook her head. “No, I don’t expect that. But you should still talk to Hawke. I can be there. I think I can even get Fenris to bring him down here. He doesn’t talk to me much, but if I say it’s for your sake I’m sure he’ll find some excuse.”

“You’re always right, Kitten,” Isabela said with a sigh. “Let’s do this tomorrow. No, the day after. I’ll need to sleep this one off and think about what I’m going to say.”

Turning to Corff, Isabela shouted, “Barkeep! Some water, if you please.”

Corff, in a much better mood now, sent Norah over with a large pitcher of plain water, which she poured some of into Isabela’s stein. Gulping it down, Isabela turned to Merrill as she wiped a small spill from the corner of her mouth.

“Kitten, why _did_ you choose to come down?”

Casting her gaze to her feet, Merrill said, “Because I know what it’s like to hurt those I loved, even if I didn’t mean to. And that I know what it’s like to never be able to tell them I was sorry, and it being too late when I next saw them. I just didn’t want that to happen to you.”

Isabela leaned over and took Merrill’s little hands in her rough ones. “Oh, my dear Merrill. That’s…that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for me.”

“I…” Merrill started, “…I…just thought it was the right thing.”

The pirate nodded, gripping the elf’s hands tighter, feeling her eyes glisten. “Yes. It is, darling. You’re so much better than I ever could be.”

“No,” Merrill said. “You could do just as much good I have. Maybe even more.”

“Maybe one day,” Isabela said, releasing Merrill’s hands to wipe her eyes. “All right, I’m already starting to regret this and it’s not even morning yet. Kitten, mind helping me up the stairs? Maker, I sound like an old woman.”

“Of course!” Merrill said as she stepped over the stools to take her by the arm. “Easy now, Isabela. I’m not used to hoisting humans around.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll learn quickly enough,” Isabela muttered as she dragged herself to her feet, taking step by careful step up to her room at the Hanged Man, Merrill gently but firmly guiding her upwards and onwards.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: https://athenril-of-kirkwall.tumblr.com/post/182488192890/


End file.
